Future City

Perhaps this week's theme of 'Places to Live' would include Utopia, the title of the above stamp which is one of a set produced in 2012 by Finland called - Future City  - showing "what kind of habitat we might have one day". They were issued in booklet form

of which this is the cover. The green plans form decoration throughout the pages but I'll concentrate on the stamps issued on the occasion of Helsinki being chosen as World Design Capital in 2012.  There was originally an open stamp design competition when 1,422 entries were received from which a jury of professionals and the public selected 8 so lets get on with the stamps.  The first two are very colourful

and are called simply 'Colour Power and Mix' nothing like a bit of colour to cheer a day up.  The designs are by Varpu Kangass a freelance Graphic Designer from Helsinki. The text by the stamps discusses openness  and says "For us, openness equals, transparency, curiosity, global responsibility and innovation.  In the stamp design competition we aimed to challenge people to think about their own city".

The top stamp on the next page is by the French graphic designer Chloe Chapeaublanc and accentuates the need for a diverse architecture and also possibly people.  The bottom stamp is the pristine version of the used one I showed at the top 'Utopia' (Onnela) by Sini Henttonen, then a student of textile art and design in Helsinki.

Next we have two stamps designed by children

On the left Kaupungin liike (City Business) by Daniel Kallström, a schoolboy from Helsinki and the one on the right Tulevaisuus rohkeana (which I think translates as a bold future) by Elias Ollila then a 5 year old from Espoo.

Lastly we have City Kani (City Rabbit) by Katja Hynninen, a textile designer from Tampere.  I've been lucky enough to have the company of rabbits on lawns on a number of places I have worked on industrial estates so they are well tuned in for the future city.  The bottom stamp puzzled me I thought it might be a vision of big cats roaming the streets and I didn't know how they would coexist with the rabbits, or indeed humans, but the message was more a call to arms.  Assenne muotoil which I think translates as 'The attitude of designers".  As the booklet hopefully says "Together we will build better, more livable and happier cities".

An entry to Violet Sky's Sunday Stamps II theme of - Places to Live - more stamps to see living  here